The present invention relates to a valve device for flow control in a distributor of a liquid-operated heat or cold energy supply system with a flow measuring unit to measure a flow rate of the liquid and with a control element to adjust a flow area for the liquid, the flow area being variable by rotation of the control element. The invention also relates to a distributor device with at least one such valve device.
A distributor device is generally used to share out, in an adjustable or regulatable way, a circulating heating or cooling medium in a heat or cold energy supply system to local individual heating or cooling points. One example of such a heat supply system is an underfloor heating system comprised of several heating circuits, which are branched off from a collective heating system via a plurality of adjustment and control elements. Distributor devices used may be pipe sections exhibiting branch lines for the flows and returns of the individual heating circuits. Since the individual heating circuits of an underfloor heating system may be sized differently to account for the different room floor areas, the heating circuits for the individual rooms have to be controllable separate from each other. It is therefore usual practice to provide, particularly in the return line, in addition to the standard control valves, which are controlled manually, by means of an electric actuator or by a thermostat, so-called flow rate limiters through which the flow rate can be adjusted for each heating circuit. The flow rate can then be determined by means of valve devices employed in the flow line, which are equipped with a corresponding flow measuring unit.
The German utility model G 299 05 655 teaches a generic valve device that exhibits such a flow measuring unit. The valve device described in said publication comprises an outer pipe jacket and an inner pipe arranged inside said pipe jacket, the diameter of said inner pipe being sized such that a void is formed between the outer surface of the inner pipe and the inner surface of the pipe jacket. The liquid enters the void via a first end of the inner pipe, flows through the inner pipe, reaches the void through the other end of the inner pipe, and then exits the void. The flow measuring unit is realised by a float, which is movably arranged inside the inner pipe, and a pressure spring, which is arranged right against the float and which exerts a spring force contrary to the direction of flow of the liquid. The float may be connected with a pointer of an indication device to indicate the measured flow rate. Moreover, it can itself indicate the flow rate, particularly if the internal pipe and the external pipe jacket are at least partially designed transparently. Apart from the flow measuring unit there is an adjustment spindle which protrudes into the inner pipe. By rotating a rotating handle the adjustment spindle can be moved upwards and downwards in parallel to the course of the inner pipe, and the exiting of the liquid from the inner pipe can be controlled by adjusting the flow area. In this way the adjustment spindle tightens off the inner pipe in a xe2x80x9cclosed positionxe2x80x9d in collaboration with a sealing ring, the result being that the liquid cannot exit the inner pipe. If the adjustment spindle is move upwards form this position, an xe2x80x9copen positionxe2x80x9d is reached, which guarantees a certain flow area for the liquid as a function of the adjustment spindle position. Although both the function of a flow measurer and that of a flow rate limiter are realised through this valve device, the valve device exhibits several disadvantages. It is relatively large and therefore occupies rather a lot of space. Said space is required above all by the adjustment spindle and the elements co-acting with said adjustment spindle. Moreover, this kind of flow rate limiting does not allow an exact fine controlling of the flow area, which is desired in numerous areas of application.
The invention is therefore based on the object of developing the generic valve device in such a way that a flow area for the liquid is exactly adjustable and finely controllable and that a smaller valve size becomes possible. Moreover, it is the object of the invention to provide a distributor device exhibiting at least one such valve device.
Said object is achieved by a generic valve device, on which the control element is designed as a first disc with at least one flow limiting aperture and is part of a control unit, the control unit comprising a second disc which exhibits at least one flow aperture, is arranged in parallel to the first disc and adjoins said first disc, forming a tight connection. The at least one flow limiting aperture and the at least one flow aperture are positioned such that a total area made up of the areas of the at least one flow aperture and the at least one flow limiting aperture, which overlap each other, is variable as a function of a rotation of the first disc relative to the second disc around a rotational axis. The arrangement of the at least one flow limiting aperture and the at least one flow aperture can be adjusted individually to the special needs, so that an optimum adjustment of the flow area for the liquid can be reached. The possibility or fine regulation is thus guaranteed. Moreover, the arrangement of the apertures can be selected such that no flow is possible in a certain rotating position. In this way the control unit may be used to shut off a branch line in the distributor. The valve device according to the present invention can also be designed in a space-saving way because the arrangement of the two discs requires only little room. Owing to their shape, the first disc and the second disc are very lightweight and therefore economically producible, with ceramics or brass as a material also being available apart from plastic. Particularly the use of ceramics gives high-quality seals.
In a first especially preferred embodiment of the invention it is envisaged that the at least one flow limiting aperture and the at lest one flow aperture are designed such that by the rotation of the first disc relative to the second disc around the rotational axis a linear increase of the flow area is achievable. In this case the adjustment of the flow area is particularly comfortable so that it can also be executed by a less experienced operator or technician.
Particularly economical is also an embodiment of the invention, for which the at least one flow limiting aperture and/or the at least one flow aperture comprises an aperture extending concentrically with respect to the rotational axis.
Particularly when either a flow limiting aperture or a flow aperture is designed as an aperture extending concentrically with respect to the rotational axis, said concentrically extending aperture can narrow so that, depending on the rotation position of the first disc, the flow area is in the one case bigger and in the other case smaller. This way, a linear increase of the flow area can also be obtained particularly easily when rotating the first disc relative to the second disc around the rotational axis.
Alternatively or additionally, the at least one flow limiting aperture and/or the at least one flow aperture can also comprise several circular apertures of different sizes. Any other shape is also conceivable.
An embodiment of the invention envisages that the control unit comprises a rotating handle connected to the first disc in such a way that the first disc is rotatable by rotation of the rotating handle relative to the second disc, it being particularly possible for the rotating handle to be connected to the first disc via a rotatably arranged pipe. The rotating handle guarantees a comfortable and easy operation of the control unit.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pipe is designed as consisting of at least two parts, the individual parts being connectable by a screwing mechanism and/or a plugging mechanism. This embodiment makes it possible, for example, to insert a first part of the pipe into a first aperture of a distributor, while the second part of the pipe is inserted into a second aperture of the distributor which lies opposite to the first. The connection of the two parts then occurs inside the distributor by way of a screwing mechanism or a plugging mechanism. Apart form this, other connection mechanisms are also realisable for the expert.
The pipe can exhibit a first aperture through which the liquid can flow into the pipe, and a second aperture through with the liquid can flow out of the pipe. This means that in the present case the pipe not only serves to transfer the motion from the rotating handle to the disc but also exercises a second function, namely that of carrying liquid.
An especially successful embodiment of the invention envisages that the first disc is arranged at the first or the second aperture of the pipe. The first disc is advantageously connected tightly with the pipe. The second disc may then be arranged inside the pipe or outside the pipe in parallel to the first disc. In order to allow a rotating motion of the first disc relative to the second disc, only an appropriate anchoring of the second disc is necessary.
The flow measuring unit can advantageously exhibit a measurement body which is arranged movably in the pipe, or a further pipe through which the liquid flows, an embodiment of the invention envisaging that the measurement body is connected to a spring element which exerts a spring force against a direction of low of the liquid inside the pipe or the further pipe. The spring element can for example be a pressure spring. Like the measurement body it can be arranged in the pipe or the further pipe.
It is particularly advantageous if the measurement body is connected to the spring element via a rod. In this case, the measurement body and the spring element can be positioned at a relatively long distance from each other, which is particularly sensible if the spring element, in addition to its original function, also executes an indication function, for which it has to be arranged in a position that can be designed such that it can be easily seen.
The rod and/or the spring element can be arranged inside the pipe or the further pipe.
The spring element or the rod or the measurement body can be connected to a pointer of an indication unit to indicate the flow rate, or can themselves indicate the flow rate, particularly if the pipe or the further pipe is at least partially designed transparently, the spring element and the rod offering the special advantage that they can be positioned clearly visible, because an arrangement on which the rod and/or the spring element protrudes at least partially from the actual distributor itself, for example, is also possible.
The valve device can comprise a temperature measurement and indication unit, it being possible that the temperature measurement and indication unit is at least partially arranged in the pipe or the further pipe.
The aforementioned object is also achieved by a distributor device for sharing out a liquid into several circuits in a heat or cold energy supply system, which is operated with said liquid, having at least one valve device according to the present invention. Said distributor device can exhibit at least one flow distributor pipe with flow branch lines and at least one return distributor pipe with return branch lines, the liquid being dischargeable through the flow distributor pipe via the flow branch lines and returnable into the return distributor via the return branch lines, the at least one valve device being arranged as a flow line valve in the flow distributor pipe. Apart form this especially advantageous embodiment, the at least one valve device can also be arranged as a return line valve in the return distributor pipe.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be understood by reference to and understanding of the following description with reference to the attached drawings.